Michigan employees experiment with ways of working

State employees try working from home

Thousands of state employees in Michigan are experimenting with new ways of working, such as using a home office for part of the week or entering records from the field.

The Lansing State Journal reports departments such as the state police, Human Services and Management & Budget have been testing ways over the past several months to increase worker productivity and cut costs. It's part of Gov. Rick Snyder's push for improved efficiency.

State officials say the arrangement doesn't make sense for every department or employee. But for certain jobs, they say it can be an effective way to improve government operations.

In some cases, if employees that usually are on the road need office space, communal workstations are available including a secure connection to the state's computer system.

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